There may come a time in your life when you wonder, “What exactly do I value?” Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone. Many people ponder that age-old question at some point, especially as they consider downsizing and decluttering to move into smaller homes.
Interestingly, the answer can often be found within the walls of your house. It’s never too soon to learn what’s inside your property that’s important to you or to determine which of your things you place the most value on. If you’re preparing to downsize your home and aren’t sure how to downsize, then you’ve come to the right place! Let’s dive into Simple Life’s tips for how to downsize.
First Tip on How to Downsize? Start Before You Move
You’ve already made significant choices in your life: getting married, going to grad school, or having a child. These decisions have likely had a significant impact on your life, your space, and your day-to-day living. After years of living in one place, the way you organize your living areas and storage space can become automatic, with no thought given at all.
Because of this, it is sometimes best to take a giant step back and evaluate from scratch. In other words, attempt to set aside your daily habits and routines and view your living space with fresh eyes. Then, and only then, can you distinguish between your sentimental items and those that are duplicates, as well as those that might require downsizing and decluttering.
Guess what? There is no better time to do this than before downsizing. Knowing that you are recreating your life for smaller homes can be an exciting motivator for a fresh start from zero. It will be easier to do this before you move than after you’ve already settled into your new space.
Next, Remove Everything From One Room
This is harder than it seems, but totally worth it. Once you’ve emptied out one entire room in your house, you may realize that the room has more living and storage space than you thought and that you’ve filled that space with stuff instead of with laughter and friends.
Consider taking this time to try the “Trash, Treasure, or Transfer” exercise, in which you put every item into 1 of 3 piles. It’s a wonderful tool for downsizing and decluttering! You either want to trash it or recycle it, treasure it, donate it, or give it away. Don’t stop short or quit halfway through. Go through the entire room and all its contents until you’ve sorted through everything.
Only Keep Things That Are Useful Or Meaningful
This seems easy, but it can be a challenge if you’ve got sentimental items that hold a lot of meaning for you. You should feel good about keeping anything that is meaningful, but it can be difficult to determine if something is or isn’t. Sometimes, a good way to start is to eliminate duplicate items.
Do you need the big head caricature of yourself that you got at the state fair, and the photo of your family from the state fair? Chances are, you are indifferent to the caricature and really can’t figure out how much meaning it brings to your life, but the photo makes you smile and brings real joy to your day. That’s how you can separate the sentimental items from those that are just duplicate items and can be donated or given to those in your life who may treasure them more.
Another Must for Downsizing: Leave No Pile Behind
Remove every single item from the floor of your home, except for the furniture legs. Chances are, perpetual floor items are a good place to start with your trash or giveaway piles. It also makes it easier to see what your next steps will be.
When you’re downsizing and decluttering, look for items that you often don’t think of, but could go: old magazine issues, a pile of dog toys, unread mail, your Bette Midler CD collection, a sock that’s been missing its mate for years. Despite being part of your space for so long, most of these things can likely be let go of before moving into a smaller property.
A Place For Everything and Everything In Its Place
Do you move items from room to room during the day? Try a room reset before the day is over. Getting specific about where things are located can help you evaluate if those things are making life more enjoyable. It can also help you understand which items go to your storage space that don’t have a convenient or easily accessible location in your living areas.
If you begin to evaluate your living space before you downsize your home, it’s quite possible that your ingrained living habits will start to change before you move. You may find it easier to view your things and your space through the lens of what serves you and what you can let go of. This can be a great advantage as you prepare for smaller homes that might require better storage space management, too.
You may also start to feel more comfortable holding on to only a few things, such as sentimental items, rather than many things or duplicate items that hold little value. With fewer things to look after, you can focus on filling your days with experiences and relationships that add value to your time as well as to your space.
While you’re decluttering and downsizing, don’t forget about your fur babies! Do you have pets? Read ”Downsizing with dogs: 3 helpful tips!” With these tips, you’ll ensure that you take care of your home and all your family members, too, while preparing for the big move.
Looking for Smaller Homes After Downsizing? Consider Simple Life
While you’re looking for smaller homes to move into after you downsize your home, consider Simple Life. With plenty of outdoor recreational areas, gorgeous smaller homes, and available storage space, downsizing is made easy—and enjoyable! Visit our website today to explore our available homes in numerous communities in desirable destinations. We can’t wait to welcome you home!
